Apparatus for cleansing and removing grease and the like from solid articles



July 29, 1930.

G. WOLFF 1,771,698 APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING AND REMOVING GREASE AND THELIKE FROM SOLID ARTICLES Filed May 8, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 lll III July29, 1930. WQLFF 1,771,698

APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING AND REMOVING GREASE AND THE LIKE FROM SOLIDARTICLES Filed May 8, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 G. WOLFF 1,771,698 EANSINGAND awovme GREASE July 29, 1930.

APPARATUS FOR CL AND THE LIKE FROM SOLID ARTICLES FiledMay 8, 1928 5Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR GEORG WOLFF' BY X u mm ATTORN EY Patented July29, 1930- UNI ED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORG- WOLII, OI 'MUNIGH, GERMANY,ASSIGNOR '10 DIR. ALEXANDER WACKER GE- SELLSGHAF'I. FUR ELEKTROCHEMISGHEINDUSTRIE, OF MUNICH, GERMANY APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING REMOVING GREASEAND THE LIKE FROM SOLID ART Application filed Kay 8, 1928, Serial NoThis invention relates to an apparatus for cleansing and removing greaseand the like from solid articles by means of organic solvents, and hasfor its object to greatly save time necessary for cleansing, and toavoid completelythe loss of volatile solvents in an open washing vessel,therefore being without any danger for persons.

Liquid solutions such as benzine, benzol,

trichlorethylene, carbon tetrachloride, have been used for cleansingsolid articles such as metals, glass, celluloid and horn, which arecoated with oil, grease, resin, wax or the like.

These solutions are particularly effective if they are used in a warmcondition, but care must b'taken that the vapours developed from thesolution do. not escape from the washing vessel, since .considerableloss and danger to the operators may in this case occur. For such warmedsolutions, closed gastight washing vessels are usually employed and thevapoursremaining in them after the washing process are removed either bysuction or depositedby coohng before the cover is raised. ThlS processis inconvenient and wastes time and generally is by no means perfeet. 1

According to the present invention, heated solutions of the kind namedcan be employed in an open washing vessel without the abovementioneddrawbacks, by arranging cooling bodies, for example a coiled tubetraversed by cold water, above the level of the washing liquid. Thegases developed are then directly condensed by contact with the coolingbodies and the condensate drops back into the washing liquid. If thecooling eflE'ect is proportioned so that the whole heat of evap-' rows .276,006, and in Germany March 4, 1927.

space, they dry in a very short time by the evaporation of the liquidadhering to them. The vapours formed in this way do not leave thevessel, but fall down by gravity and are deposited on the coolingbodies. This particular property of the vapours is of particularadvantage when trichlorethylene and liquid, because their vapours have avery high specific gravity '(specific weight).

advantage of complete non-inflammability, and on that account can beheated without danger by open flames, they are s ecially adapted for thedescribed method 0 operation in open washing vessels.

The figures of the accompanyingdrawings represent diagrammaticallyexamples of carbon tetrachloride are used as the washingpart b of thevessel .there are two pivoted sets of coiled tubes 0 traversed bycooling water, and the vapours arising from the heated washing liquidare deposited on these coils,

sothat they do not reach the upper part b.

The-articles to be cleansed are placed in a perforated basket d. whichis suspended by chains or cords and is lowered into the part a bygearing e operated by a crank f. For this purpose the coils c are turnedfor a short time by means of a handle 9 into a vertical position shownin dotted lines against the side wall of the vessel, and after thepassage of thebasket are again returned to their horizontal position.The main operation of cleansing of the articles is effected b theimmersion into the hot washing liqui whereupon the basket is againraised above the evel of the liquid, but is left for some time e5 Slncealso these two solutions have the great in the vapour space below thetubes 0. The perfectly pure condensate deposited on the cooling tubesdrops down on the articles with the considerable advantage that they)undergo a second washing process. The asket ii is then raised into theupper part b, the tubes 0 being again turned for a short tim'eto theside of the vessel. In this position the warm articles are vapours sinng down and being deposited on the cooling tubes below. The purified anddried articles are then removed. from the U basket and replaced b impurearticles, with which the operation described is repeated. .Fig. 2represents an open washing vessel It, the lower portion of which isfilled with the washing liquid, which 1s warmed by'a heating device, notrepresented. Cooling tubes 71 are arranged over the level of the, liquidand are fixed to the inner wall of the vessel, and even in this positionsuflice to prevent the vapours from rising. A basket 1a,; prepared fromperforated sheet metal, containing the articlesijo be washed,1s loweredbetween the coolingfftiibes by gearing Z and immersed in the hot washingliquid. By a change in the gearing the basket in can then be rotated inthe liquid about its axis. This -is necessary if articles with hollowspaces,

for example complete motor casings, are to:

be cleansed, since only .by a rotary move-F ment of this kind can thewashing liquid be made to penetrate into all the hollow spaces. When thebasketjc is again raised over the tubes i, it must in this position beagaln rotated, in order that the hollow spaces of the articleswhich arefilled with liquid can be completely emptied and dried. The gearingmeans used for lowering and raising it in Fig. 2 is shown in detail inFigs. 5 and 6. Fig. 5 is a plan view partly in section of the gearingused in the modification of the apparatus shown in 2 while Fig. 6 is afront elevation of same. i This gearing means comprises a bevel gear 1,actuated by a crank 2, mounted in the bracket 3 attached to the washingvessel h. The bevel gear 1 meshes with the bevel gear 4 fixed on theshaft v 5 at one end thereof, said shaft carrying a;

worm 6 at its opposite end. The work 6 actuates worm wheel 7 fixed onone end of shaft 8 which carries a pair of drums 9 (only one of which isshown in Fig. 5) .for' reeling and unreeling the rope or chain 25'supporting the basket is on both sides. The bevel gear 1 also mesheswith the bevel gear 10 rotatably mounted near one end of shaft 11.. Theshaft 11 carries the worm 12 at its opposite end which meshes with theworm Wheel 13 fixed basket 70. A clutch member 16 is mounted 1 on shaft11 beyond bevel gear 10 so as to be capable of a' limited movement alongthe qgl ickly and completely dried, the.

longitudinal ms of shaft 11, but fixed to prevent angular movement aboutthe shaft. This of its path clutch member is moved to. The

recesses in bevelgear 10 are not shown in-Fign. 5 as the clutch in suchposition that its fingers 17 are inserted in the recesses in bevel gear10, in other word's,..the shaftlllis-ishowni in gear with the bevel gear10 in this figure. Pivotedlever 19 carrying projection 20 which fits ina recess 21iof the'clutch member 16 is provided for moving the clutchmember along the shaft 11 soth'at. it may engage either one of the.bevel gears4 and ,10 which gears rotate in'opposite directions owing ,tothe fact gliat they'are on opposite sides of bevel gear To raise orlowerthe basket the lever 19 11, upon actuating crank 2, to rotate in thesame direction as shaft 5 and consequently causing drums 9 and 15 torotate in opposite directions. Whether the basket 70- is raised or.lowered depends .upon which direction Y crank 2 is turned.

. To rotate the basket is either in the washing liquid or in the cooled.area above it, the lever 19 is moved to the right (Fig. 6) throwingbevel gear 10 in gear with shaft 11 and causing both shafts 5 and 11 torotate in opposite directions and consequently causing the drums 9 and15 to rotate in one and the same direction. With the apparatus gearedthis way the rope or chain 25 can be reeled on either one of drums 9 or15 depending upon the direction in which crank 2 is turned.

In Fig. 3 an open washing vessel is represented of which the lowerportionis divided by'partitions into three containers m m 172 which. arefilled With the-washing liquid and can be heated, j Also, in this casethe cooling bodie'sghaye',the form ofcooling tubes n which a rran'ged atthe walls of the vessel above t h containers and prevent the vapoursfrom rising. The'ai ticles to be cleansed are placed-in the perforatedbasket 0, which isimmersed successively by hand by means of a rod andstrap in the containers m m m the main cleansing taking place inthe'first container. m which,oonsequently, receives the greatestportionpfthe impurities, while the containers m and;m', serve for finalwashings. In consequ of these after immersions, the apparatus {isarticularly suited for washing articles which require'to be verycompletely cleansed ;';.f,or example if they areto be nickel-platedlater. The .pure condensate dropping fromtlie cooling'tubes is reeeivedbya trough-p and led to the container m which contains the "urestliquid. From this container the-liqui can flaw gradually over overflows9 into the Containers m and 722,. After the cleansing has beencompleted, the basket is suspended as shown in the space above thecooling tubes and the articles are allowed to dry before they areremovedfrom the apparatus. From time to time the very impure contents ofthe container m, are removed and fresh liquid introduced into thecontainer m by the overflow from which the container m is againcompletely filled. Also, constantly fresh solution can he allowed toflow to the container m and an equal quantity of the impure liquid fromthecontainer m, allowed to escape. It ispossible to complctely removethe impurities by distillation and recover the solution.

Fig. 4 shows an automatically operating cleansing apparatus. In thiscase a large number of perforated baskets sfilled with the articles tobe cleansed are suspended on an endless cord or chain gear running overrollers 1', and by means of these are introduced through an opening u,into the washing vessel 'w and immersed in succession in the containerst t and t filled with warm washing liquid, and are finally removedthrough an opening 11. from the vessel to. Cooling pockets 1) arearranged at the openings u and u between which pockets the articles tobe cleansed are slowly drawn. These cooling pockets prevent the vapoursdeveloped in the vessel from escaping from the openings and they alsodry the articles as they pass through them before their discharge. v I

The gearing is driven preferably by a motor and so slowly that it ispossible to fill and empty the baskets outside the washing vesselwithout bringing the gearing to rest. The container 1, in which thearticles are first immersed. retains the largest portion of theimpurities, while the containers t and t serve for the later immersions.The condensate flowing from the cooling pockets and also constantlyfresh quantities of solution are introduced into the container t,,,which contains the purest liquid. There is a gradual flow from thecontainer t through the overflow a: to the container t and from this tot from which the impure liquid is led to a distillation apparatus.

What I claim is v 1. Apparatus for cleaning and removing grease and thelike from articles comprising a washing vessel having a permanentlyunobstructed open top through .which the articles to be cleaned areadapted to be inserted, said vessel being adapted to be partially filledwith a volatile cleaning liquid, and cooling means in the upper partthereof above the level of said liquid to condense and thereby preventvapors from escaping through the open top of said vessel.

2. Apparatus for cleaning and removing tially filled with a volatilecleaning liquid and cooling means arranged along the sidewalls in theupper part of the vessel above the level of said liquid to condense andthereby prevent vapors from escaping through the open top of saidvessel.

3. Apparatus for cleaning and removing grease and the like from articlescomprising a washing vessel having a permanently unobstructed open topthrough which the articles to be cleaned are adapted to be inserted saidvessel being adapted to be partially fille with avolatile cleaningliquid, and cooling means in the upper part thereof above the level ofsaid liquid to condense and thereby prevent-vapors from escaping throughthe open top of said vessel, said vessel extending above said coolingmeans to provide a space wherein articles may be dried within thevessel.

4. Apparatus for cleaning and removing grease and the like from articlescomprising an open top washing vessel adapted to be partially filledwith a volatile cleaning liquid,

cooling means in the upper part thereof above the level of said liquidto condense and thereby prevent vapors from escaping through the opentop of said vessel, and means for lower ing and raising articles intoand out of liquid. I

5. Apparatus for cleaning and removing grease andlthe like from articlescom rising an open top washing vessel adapte to be partially filled witha volatile cleaning liquid, coolingmeans in the upper part thereofabovethe level of said liquid to condense and theresaid by prevent vaporsfrom escaping through the open top of said vessel, and means for lower:ing and raising a container for said articles into and out of saidliquid, said means embodying mechanism for giving the container a rotarymotion both in and above said liquid.

' Signed at Munich, Germany, this 26th day of April, A. D. 1928.

. GEORG WOLFF.

an open to p washing vessel adapted to be par-

